The James Bond franchise got its own moment at the Oscars 2025 with a medley dedicated to the film and performed by Lisa, Doja Cat and Raye, with a preamble by Margaret Qualley in the form of a dance to the movie’s theme. Lisa sang a snippet of “Live and Let Die,” Doja took on “Diamonds are Forever” and Raye sang “Skyfall.”
James Bond has been in the headlines quite a bit lately, and not because there’s a new movie in the franchise.
Last week, news broke that producers and siblings Michael G. Wilson, 83, and Barbara Broccoli, 64, the guardians of the Bond film franchise, were selling their interest in their late father’s EON — the company that’s kept the Broccoli dynasty in creative control of 007 since the character first swaggered onto the screen in 1962 — to Amazon.
In November, the two were feted with the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award, one of several Governors’ Awards honors. And on Oscar night, the two were recognized as Bond received a musical tribute to its decades of film-specific songs.
The music of Bond is as iconic as the character himself, blending cinematic grandeur with pop sensibilities. The surf-guitar melody of the “James Bond Theme” was written by Monty Norman and arranged by John Barry. But just as impactful have been songs written specifically for the franchise, including Shirley Bassey’s “Goldfinger” (1964) and “Diamonds Are Forever” (1971); Paul McCartney’s “Live and Let Die (1973), Duran Duran’s “A View to a Kill” (1985), Adele’s “Skyfall” (2012), Sam Smith’s “Writing’s on the Wall” and Billie Eilish’s “No Time to Die” (2020) — all three songs from the 2000s were Oscar winners.
Asked about her song partners on the red carpet, Raye said “They are two ridiculous true artists. … I love them both so much.”